sources
– incarceration
https://www.sentencingproject.org/the-facts/#map
diversity*
– diversity* = Catholic% + Jewish% + Muslim% + Asian%
– Catholic, Jewish, Muslim populations: https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/religious-tradition/by/state/
– Asian population: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Asian_Americans
tool: Mathematica

***************
– the ellipses are centered on the Rep/Dem means;
the standard deviations are represented by the ellipses' axes
– the 50 plot points represent the (diversity*, incarceration) coordinates for each state;
and are colored according to their 2020 Electoral College vote
– "r" is the Pearson correlation value

best-fit lines, correlations: incarceration vs diversity*

1. Purpose
   In order to 'understand' the non-random, top/bottom, Rep/Dem differentiation of metric values, eight "response" metrics are correlated with three "predictor" metrics. This post presents the 'response' variable incarceration vs the diversity* 'predictor' metric.
   ... the eight "response" metrics: GDP, state taxes; suicide rate, opioids; life expectancy, infant mortality; incarceration, state+local ed spending;
   ... the three "predictor" metrics: 'rural-urban', evangelical, diversity*
2. the "big picture"
   i) There is a non-random, top/bottom, Dem/Rep pattern. Patterns have reasons/causes and are mathematical.
   ii) Rep states are always on the negative side (less GDP, more suicides, lower life expectancy, etc).
   iii) How did 150 million voters, acting individually, separate the fifty states into two such disparate groups?
   iv) is there a "predictive" metric or combination of metrics which can be used to explain the characteristic Rep/Dem differences seen in the data?
3. general comments
   i) Dem states are twice as "diverse" as Rep states
   ii) for both Rep states and Dem states: as diversity* increases, the incarceration rate decreases; though the Dem states 'best-fit' line is more convincing (has a larger r-value)
   iii) Hawaii has the largest diversity* rating – due to its large Asian population

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This is interesting. Thanks.

Wonder if it's possible to look further at the "diversity" of incarcerated populations.

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